Class 

Book 

Copyright 1^? 

GOPyRICHT DEPOSIT. 



STREET ON AUCTION 



A Conservative, Practical and Profitable 
Method of Playing the Greatest 
of Modern Games 

BY 

CHARLES STUART STREET 

AUTHOR OF 

"Concise Whist,** "Whist Up-to-Date,*' 
"Bridge Up-to-Date,** "Good Bridge*' 
''Outlines of Audion Bridge** and 
"Sixty Bridge Hands*' 



NEW YORK 
1912 



,1^ 



Copyright 1911 

BY 

Charles Stuart Street. 



STREET ON AUCTION 
Sent on Receipt of Price, 
$1.25 Net. 
Address : Charles S. Street, 
240 East 51st Street, 
New York City. 

©CI.A30525i 



NO. I 



To my friend 

HARRY H, WARD, 
in appreciation of his suggestions and 
kind collaboration J this book is 
gratefully dedicated. 



PREFACE 



In this book it is presupposed that the 
student of Auction knows the principles and 
general rules of the game of Bridge. There- 
fore, to insert here chapters upon Second or 
Third Hand Play, Management of Trump 
Hands, Holding Up, Unblocking, etc., would be 
but an idle repetition. The author has covered 
all that ground in his last book on Bridge 
entitled Good Bridge. The present volume is 
devoted to an exposition of the principles of 
Auction, and has been purposely delayed in 
the writing until the game, which for a long 
time has been chaotic has at last crystallized 
into a reasonable and recognized system. This 
system as shown here is natural, conservative 
and reliable. It begets confidence between 
partners, and when followed by good players 



not only insures them a fair meed of success, 
but also, and above all, arms them against 
great and disproportionate loss. The author 
has no fads or fancies to advance; his sole 
aim has been to set forth in a clear and com- 
prehensive way the best method of playing 
this most delicate and complex game. 



the: sch£:me: oi^ auction. 



7 



STREET ON AUCTION 

CHAPTER 1. 

the: scheme 01^ AUCTION. 

Most players, even those who have played a 
long time, have an entirely wrong idea of the 
game of Auction. They think that they must 
bid all the time, that it is somewhat of a dis- 
grace to say nothing, that they must make a 
constant effort to show their partner some- 
thing, and that they aren't having any excite- 
ment at all unless they bid up to two or three 
on some make and either get doubled or 
double some one else. And it is easy to see 
that if all four players play this same kind of 
game the hands are thrilling and the losses 
offset each other. But place a careful and 
conservative player at that table and with 
average cards his success is astounding, 
because the secret of success at Auction is to 
avoid large losses. 



8 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



Your opponents simply cannot win a huge 
rubber unless you deliberately pile up a big 
score for them in their honor column. If you 
never say anything but ''one spade" and "no'' 
they may win the rubber in two successive 
games, which, with the honors and the 250 
points bonus, may run the total up to above 
400. But rubbers of 800 or 1,000 are the 
fruits of sky-rocket bidding, either founded on 
false initial bids or carried to ridiculous 
heights by players who either cannot or will 
not count their hands. 

Auction was evolved to prevent good hands 
being wasted and to allow any player hav- 
ing such a hand to play the dummy as if 
he had been the dealer at Bridge. And all bid- 
ding should be directed at finding out if you 
and your partner between you have a hand 
with which you can go game ; or if not, if you 
can prevent the adversaries from going game ; 
or if game is not possible for either side, if 
you can make a moderate score without tak- 
ing chances for a disproportionate loss. 



THE^ SCHEME OF AUCTION. 



9 



Most of the time there should be but little 
bidding. It is only when two good hands 
occur at the same time, or when the rubber is 
at some critical stage, that there is much com- 
petition. The idea of trying to outbid good 
hands with poor ones is suicidal. There never 
yet has been a game where poor cards will beat 
good ones if they have to be played out. The 
bluff is successful at poker only because the 
cards may be thrown down, but hands at Auc- 
tion always come to a showdown. The good 
poker player never goes into nor tries to win 
every pot. He waits until he has a fair 
chance. In Auction you can't expect to play 
every hand or win every rubber. You can't 
take away every bid always; the opponents 
will hold and must play some good hands, and 
it is madness not to recognize that fact. 

With good hands you can bid up to the 
limit of their possibilities, and even a trick 
beyond when the opponents' bid looks danger- 
ous ; but moderate hands, hands a shade above 
the average, you should treat with extreme 



10 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



caution; while as for poor hands, it is well to 
recognize at the start that you have nothing to 
say and nothing to do. 

What you should aim at is to win the game, 
taking as little risk as possible while you are 
waiting for the proper hand to do it with, and 
losing, if you must lose, only small rubbers. 

Nearly all games at Auction are won, when 
they are won, in a single hand. All the 8's 
and 12's and 16's you make rarely help 
much towards a game. In a minute or two 
there comes along a big heart hand or a no- 
trumper, which alone wins the game. Not 
that small scores are to be despised. Every 
score you make above or below helps swell 
your profits or diminish your losses. But 
these small profits are not worth big risks. 

Your first bid is usually a suggestion to 
your partner, after which the opponents ven- 
ture some bid. Some one may hold a good 
hand, or there may be two big hands out 
against each other, in which case the bidding 
may go on, becoming more and more danger- 



THE SCHEME 01^ AUCTION. 



11 



ous each step that it advances. But often you 
can see that you can't go out and that probably 
the adversaries also cannot win, so that 
it ceases to be a question of the game for 
either side ; then let them play the hand unless 
your make is pretty sure. Let them take the 
chance to lose 50 or 100. What do you care if 
they do score 16, or even 24; your chance to 
go out next time is as good as theirs ; every 
deal is your deal in Auction. 

High bids are nearly always bad risks. The 
player who bids three diamonds is trying for 
18 points and taking chances to lose SO or 100. 
The gain and the loss are not equivalent. Bear 
in mind that what you are after is the game, 
the game, first and last, the game, and shape 
all your bids to that end. 

The history of Auction shows a persistent 
progress toward conservatism. Among good 
players there is much less bidding and very 
much less doubling than formerly. A loss of 
300 or 400 is extremely rare, and when it 
occurs it is usually the result of some terribly 
adverse combination of circumstances. 



12 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE INITIAL BID. 

The game of Auction is built on three 
foundation stones: these are a sound initial 
bid, a correct increase by partner, and a care- 
ful continuation by the original bidder. Let 
any one of these three elements be weak and 
your structure is liable to collapse. 

The most important of the three is the 
initial bid. As dealer you have no choice; you 
cannot pags as in Bridge, but must make some 
bid, bearing in mind the one salient fact that 
the declaration you make will probably not be 
the ultimate one at which the hand will be 
played, unless you have unusually strong 
cards. More often than not it will be 
changed. 

The idea of your initial bid is distinctively 
informatory and should show the character 



the; initiai, bid. 



13 



of your hand; it should tell not necessarily 
that you intend, or especially want, to play 
the hand at your declaration, but rather that 
at such a declaration your hand will work the 
best. Except for the defensive bid of one 
spade, your first bid should tell your partner 
where you can take tricks^ no matter what the 
final bid may be at which the hand is played. 
Your bid must show high cards, winning 
cards, aces and kings. If you bid one no- 
trump you practically say that you have high 
cards scattered in three or four suits. If you 
bid one heart or one diamond or one club you 
say that you have high taking cards in that 
suit; and, as one spade is simply a passing 
hand, so the bid of two spades shows high 
taking cards in spades. 

It has been repeatedly said that Auction is 
a game of aces and kings, and this from the 
very nature of the game must be true. Your 
bid, to be of any real worth, must show cards 
of permanent value, and these are aces and 
kings. There are eight aces and kings in 



14 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



the pack, and unless two fall together they 
are good for eight tricks, and all the queens, 
jacks and tens must skirmish for the remain- 
ing five. When you bid one diamond, hold- 
ing ace, king and two others, you tell your 
partner you can take two tricks probably no 
matter what the final trump may be. But if 
you bid one diamond on six to the queen, jack, 
ten, you make a false bid, as you can take 
tricks only when diamonds are trumps, and, 
as has been said before, they probably won't 
remain trump^ In the first case, with your 
ace king sui€, you give your partner precise, 
definite, valuable information; in the second, 
with your queen jack ten suit, you say what is 
not true, you lead your partner astray and 
you often bring about a cruel loss. Again, 
with your ace king suit you have two of the 
eight high cards, your average, but with only 
a queen jack ten suit you haven't a trick in 
your hand. Make this your test; when you 
sort your hand don't look for long suits, look 
for aces and kings. If you have three of these 



THE INITIAI, BID. 



15 



eight cards you are better than the average 
and probably have a bid in your hand; if you 
have two, you have just your average and 
may possibly have a bid; but with only one 
your hand is below the average and probably 
contains no bid. 

Remember that your success depends 
largely upon you and your partner arriving 
quickly at a good understanding. Auction 
is intensely a partnership game. If you and 
your partner could withdraw to the next 
room and show each other your hands you 
could quickly decide upon your best plan of 
action. But instead, all this must be arrived 
at speedily in the bidding.""" Don't for a 
moment lose sight of the fact that you should 
think more about your partner in your bidding 
than about your opponents. When your 
opponents outbid you, you have only to resign 
and usually no harm is done. But if you 
begin by giving false information to your 
partner, and he, always relying upon you for 
an available two tricks, goes ahead and bids 



16 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



up his hand or doubles the adversaries', you 
have involved both him and yourself in a coil 
which is purely your fault, and you are power- 
less to undo. And if this can happen with a 
sound and careful partner, just think to what 
disasters you may be swept by a partner who 
is obstinate, sanguine or hot-headed. 

An ace king suit is the ideal one to bid on; 
here are your two probably assured tricks 
ready to support your partner in any bid he 
may attempt. In fact, the first thought that 
should enter your mind when your partner 
bids a heart, a diamond, or a club, is that he 
has an ace king suit. But as one unfor- 
tunately has not always such a suit, the natural 
query arises, ''What other combinations are 
valuable enough to show?" And the answer 
is, ''All that will stand the following test:'' 
As your partner counts on you for the ace 
and the king of your suit, when you haven t 
them both you must have compensation else-- 
where. 



THE INITIAI, BID. 



17 



It is sound to bid on a suit of four or five 
to the ace king, but not on five to the ace 
queen, as if your bid is changed you may have 
but one trick. But it is all right to bid on five 
to the ace queen, if you have another trick 
outside, like the ace of clubs or the king, well 
guarded. You have not what you advertise in 
your suit, but you offer an equivalent, a trick 
elsewhere. But that trick must be quickly 
available, an ace or a well-guarded king ; noth- 
ing else counts, not even a queen jack ten 
combination; that is too far off and takes too 
long to materialize. 

This then is the tale your initial bid tells: 
''Partner, I may have a hand I want to play at 
my declaration, or I may be trying to give you 
some information which will help you in a bid 
of your own; but whichever it is, I have at 
least two quickly available tricks in my hand 
which will be good on either the first or the 
second round of the suit, no matter what may 
be the trump." 



18 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



There is, however, one class of sound 
declarations not covered by the foregoing, and 
that is long red suits (six or more), headed by 
ace, by king and queen, or by king, jack 
and ten, not lower, and with no other ace or 
king. These suits will be of no value unless 
they are trumps, they are not good to help 
other makes with, being especially dangerous 
in no-trump hands, and yet will probably win 
you the odd card if you are left in with the 
bid. Such a bid naturally deceives your part- 
ner and may lead him to venture another 
declaration ; but your defense is this, you must 
not let his bid stand, you must outbid him and 
change back to your suit. For example, you 
bid one heart and he bids one no-trump, count- 
ing on you for two tricks in hearts or an 
equivalent elsewhere. If now you say two 
hearts you sound a note of warning, in fact, 
you really say this : ''I have my two tricks, but 
they will be tricks only if hearts are trumps." 
In other words, your hand is good enough to 
bid on and probably to win with, but it has not 



THE INITIAL BID. 



19 



an adjustable value. The hearts are not the 
right kind of hearts to help a no-trump, but as 
trumps, with the high cards in a no-trumper 
for assistance, they will probably win out. 
BMt such bids are good only in the red suits. 
With no other ace or king in the hand, no 
black suit should be shown originally unless 
headed by ace king, by ace queen jack, or by 
king queen jack. King jack ten suits are 
good only with an outside trick. All black 
bids must be considered as invitations to 
your partner to make some higher and more 
costly bid, usually no-trump, and are designed 
to coax him into some bid he would not other- 
wise make. If his hand is strong enough to 
bid on unaided, your bid is not necessary and 
it would be better to save your strength to 
help him with later if he should be outbid. 
If his hand is not strong enough for a bid 
you are simply tempting him on to some 
venture which may prove desperate. See to 
it, therefore, that the material you offer him 
is sound and serviceable. 



20 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



It may seem reasonable at first glance to 
bid one club on seven to the queen jack ten, 
even with no other high cards, but the bid will 
almost surely be changed, and if your partner 
bids one no-trump, counting on your clubs, he 
probably won't take a trick in your hand 
unless he has ace, king and a small club ; but 
if he has those cards, your bid was certainly 
useless, and in fact may prove disastrous, as 
he will say: ''My partner could not have bid 
one club on a queen-high suit without com- 
pensation elsewhere;'' and therefore he bids 
his hand up and up, and if an expensive 
catastrophe occurs it is your fault. 

Therefore, let your original bid be sound 
and accurate, showing high cards of value or 
long, good red suits which you mean to insist 
upon although your partner changes your bid. 

Don't be led astray by the desire to show 
your partner something when you haven't the 
right kind of cards to show. Fix it in your 
partner's mind that you can be depended upon. 
It is better far to have more than you have 



THE INITIAI. BID. 



21 



promised than to ihave less. You thereby 
become a more popular partner and a more 
respected antagonist. But don't carry this 
idea too far ; don't lie in wait and make a weak 
make when you have a stronger one in your 
hand. That was the first idea of the game and 
has been thoroughly threshed out and found 
to be false. Declare the strength of your hand 
at ;once. If you have a no-trumper don't 
begin with a spade or a diamond and give the 
adversaries a chance to show their suits and 
combine to defeat your no-trumper when you 
later launch it. Bid it at once and put the 
onus on them of bidding two on some suit 
while still in the dark as to each other's cards. 



22 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE DEAIvER'S make. 
NO TRUMP. 

With two exceptions (see sub-head 3, ''Two 
Aces/' below) all no-trump declarations which 
were good in Bridge are good in Auction, but 
as the first bid is so likely to be changed, you 
can also venture certain informatory initial 
bids in Auction which you would not make in 
Bridge, a^ in Bridge you would be forced to 
play them, while in Auction they probably will 
not stand. In fact, that should be in your 
mind when you declare one no-trump. You 
do not say that you necessarily have a fine 
no-trumper which you are anxious to play, 
you simply say that at present that is the char- 
acter of your hand; if your partner prefers 
to change to some other make you can assist 
him with some high cards. If your no- 
trumper is really good you can go back to it. 



THD de:ai.j:r's make:. 



23 



All no-trumpers are properly estimated 
according to the number of aces they contain 
and are therefore here listed on that basis. 

1. FOUR ace:s. 
While this is naturally an ideal and attract- 
ive make at the start, yet it often must be 
abandoned later in the face of a strong attack 
by the adversary, or a warning change by 
partner. 

2. thre:e: aces. 

With three aces, no matter how bad the 
rest of the hand may be, you should always 
declare one no-trump unless the hand contains 
a good heart make or you are declaring to a 
score, in which case one diamond, or even one 
club, may be preferable. 

3. TWO ACES. 

To declare one no-trump with two aces you 
have to have only one other trick, such as a 
guarded king, or a queen, jack and low. 

There are two good two ace hands, how- 
ever, in which it is better to declare a suit 
make rather than no-trump. The first is a 



24 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



solid black suit and another ace. In Bridge 
this was a no-trumper, but in Auction it is 
unnecessary to take useless chances with two 
missing suits ; it is better to bid three spades 
or two clubs and feel your way along toward 
a no-trumper, if it exists, and at the same time 
protect yourself against loss if your partner 
has a bad hand. Also with two ace king suits, 
again a Bridge make, it is better to declare one 
of the suits first. If one of the suits is hearts, 
with four or five in suit, bid one heart. But 
if not, bid the weaker of the two first and have 
the other to come forward with if you are out- 
bid, and thus give your partner a chance to 
make a no-trumper. 

4. ONE ACE. 

One ace no-trumpers are always dangerous. 
With three aces you at least have 30 to offset 
a possible loss; when you have but two aces 
your partner will have one ace two out of three 
times, while even if he has none, the honors 
can never lie against you. But with only one 
ace your partner is not likely to have more 



THE DEAI^ER'S make. 



25 



than one, and sometimes will not have that, 
which of course makes your loss more prob- 
able, besides increasing it by 30. To venture 
upon a one ace no-trumper you must have 
extra strength in your hand. There are three 
cases where such a make is sound : 

(a) You can make it no-trump with one 
ace when you have all suits protected. But 
they must be well protected, not all queen 
jack suits or jack ten suits. A good test for a 
doubtful hand is not to make it unless you 
hold a queen above the average. If you hold 
one ace, one king, one queen, one jack and 
one ten you have exactly an average hand. 
To make it worth a no-trump bid you should 
hold at least another queen. Such a bid will 
win more often than it will lose. 

(b) You can make it no-trump with one 
ace when you also have another long suit that 
can readily be cleared and a third suit pro- 
tected. 

(c) You can make it no-trump with one 
ace and one unprotected suit when your hand 



26 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



is unusually strong in the other three suits; 
here again you must have a queen above the 
average. 

5. NO ACES. 

A no-trumper without an ace should be 
made only when you have high honors in all 
the suits, with at least three kings. But 
remember unless you can stop tzvice the suit 
they open against you, you may have to ruin 
your hand by discarding. 

EXAMPLES O^ SOUND NO-TRUMP MAKES. 
V A 7 2 

4 K 8 3 2 

Purely an informatory make; one that you 
don't care especially to play, but, if you are 
left in with it, will not lose much, as your part- 
ner must have some high cards, else the adver- 
saries would have bid. 



C7 4 3 
♦ Q J 2 

Practically the same as number one. 



the: di:ai,er's maki:. 27 



No. 3. 



O Q J 5 

^ K 9 8 3 

♦ A 5 

4 Q 10 4 2 



A good example of all suits protected in a 
one ace no-trumper which contains a queen 
above the average. 



V 7 5 
^ A A 7 4 3 
^^•4- ♦ KQJ52 

♦ Q J 8 

A one ace no-trumper containing a good 
suit and a third suit protected. If the clubs 
were headed by the king ten, or the queen 
jack ten, the make would not be sound. 



O 9 4 

. A 8 3 

♦ K Q 6 3 

4 K J 10 2 

In spite of the weak hearts the rest of the 
hand is strong enough to make it a no- 
trumper. 



28 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



O K 8 6 



No. 6. 



QJ5 

♦ K Q 3 

♦ K Q J 2 



A no-trumper without an ace, but holding 
three kings and three queens. Yet this hand 
may work very badly if your partner has a 
poor hand and you lose the king of hearts at 
once and have to discard while they make 
that suit. 

EXAMPIvES 01^ UNSOUND NO-TRUMP MAKES. 



The jack ten suit certainly contains a pos- 
sible trick, but it is too remote. Save your two 
aces to help any make your partner may have ; 
if he has no make you won't go far at no- 
trump. Bid one spade. 



4 K 5 2 

Just an average hand ; one not worth a bid. 
Bid one spade. 



No. 1. 



V A 4 2 

5 3 

4^ A 8 6 2 

4 J 10 9 3 



No. 2. 



V J 10 7 5 
Q 5 3 
♦ A 8 4 



THE dealer's make. 



29 



O K 7 6 

.0.3. 

^ K 8 7 6 3 

This is a bad no-trumper, as the suits are 
all too thin and there is no support. You 
would better save your kings for your part- 
ner's help. Bid one spade. 

A K 7 6 5 

♦ A Q J 82 

Although you have three aces you will 
probably do better at hearts, as you are likely 
to lose the ace of diamonds at once and then 
will have to clear the hearts or spades. 



^54 
No. 5. V 

4 A K 4 3 

Better here to bid two spades and have 
your diamond bid in reserve for the second 
round. 



30 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



O A 6 5 
XT ^2 

♦ AKQJ7 5 
#642 

Better here to bid two clubs. This will coax 
your partner into a no-trumper if he has only 
moderate help. 



THE dealer's make. 



31 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE DEALER S MAKE. 
HEARTS OR DIAMONDS. 

One heart or one diamond should be bid 
with the following combinations : 



1. 



2. 
3. 



A K Q 
A K X x 
A Q J X X 
K Q J X X 
K Q 10 X X 

A Q X X 
K J 10 X X 
A Q J X 
K Q J X 
K Q 10 X 

A Q X X X 
A J X X X 
K Q X X X 



even though you hold 
- no other aces or kings 
in the hand. 



with another ace. 



with one ace, or one 
king guarded, outside. 



32 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



4. A 10 X X X 



with another ace, or 
with two guarded kings, 
or with two good tricks 



5. K J X X X f 



in another suit, espe- 
cially if it is a suit of 
five cards. 

with both an ace and a 
king, or with another 
suit good for two quick 
tricks. 



only with a very good 
6. K 10 X X X four or five card side 
Q J 10 X X suit, or another ace 
king suit. 

Any red suit of six cards headed by ace, 
by king queen, or by king jack ten, should be 
declared originally. This declaration you 
must continue with ; if your partner goes to 
no-trump you must bid two in your suit. 

An original bid of two hearts or two dia- 
monds is rarely advantageous with an estab- 
lished suit, as you might prefer to bring it in 



THE DEAIvKR'S make. 



33 



against an opponent's no-trumper. But such 
a bid is often profitable with a very long un- 
established suit that would be good neither to 
assist a no-trumper by your partner nor to 
bring in against one by the enemy. But 
remember when you bid two you not only 
demand to play the hand, but you also promise 
to succeed with the average help of one trick 
from your partner. 

EXAMPI.ES O^^ SOUND RED MAKES. 

Note — The bid here illustrated is always 
hearts, but it would be equally sound in dia- 
monds were the suits reversed. 





A Q 6 3 





A K J 5 2 





4 2 





A 8 6 




A 7 5 4 




A 7 3 2 




9 8 3 




4 




A Q 5 3 2 




K Q J 5 





4 





6 4 




K 9 5 




8 7 3 




8 6 4 2 




K 10 8 5 




A J 7 S 3 




K 10 8 6 4 





A 8 6 





7 5 




5 4 3 


♦ 


A K 6 3 2 


4 


3 2 


4 


9 



34 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



EXAMPLES OF SOUND RED MAKES. 







8 5 
7 4 3 
6 2 



K Q 7 6 4 3 



9 Q J 10 6 4 

5 4 

4^ A K 7 3 

4^ 7 2 



C? KJ 10 7643 

7 4 

♦ A Q J 

♦ 3 



This last is a sound example of a two- 
heart bid. 

EXAMPLES OF UNSOUND RED MAKES. 

Note — Equally true when the suit is dia- 
monds instead of hearts. 





A 6 5 4 3 


C7 


K J 8 6 5 





9 2 





A 7 6 




8 5 4 




9 3 2 




K 7 6 


♦ 


8 4 




Q J 8 4 3 2 




K 10 8 6 4 3 





9 8 3 





9 5 




K 4 




3 2 




3 2 


4 


A 5 3 



In the last two cases a heart bid is good 
on the second round. Begin with one spade. 



THE dealer's make. 



35 



CHAPTER V. 



THE dealer's make. 



CLUBS. 



At no score all original club bids are 
designed to coax your partner into a bid he 
would not otherwise make ; therefore they 
must show positive tricks. 

One club should be bid with the following 
combination : 



1. A K Q 



A K X X 
A Q J X X > 
K Q J X X 
K Q 10 X X 



even with no other ace 
or king in your hand. 



2. 



A Q X X 
A J X X X 
K Q X X X 



1 

[ with an outside ace. 
I 

J 



36 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



3. A Q J X 
K Q J X 
K Q 10 X 
A Q X X X 

4. A 10 X X X 

5. K J 10 X X 



with an outside ace 
or king. 



"j^ with an ace king suit 
J or with two kings. 
^. with an ace and a king 
J outside. 

Length in clubs without the high cards is no 
excuse for bidding, as you cannot continue and 
go to three clubs if your partner tries a no- 
trumper. 

An original bid of two clubs should be made 
only with a solid club suit. You are luring 
your partner into a light no-trumper and must 
have five or more tricks ready for him when 
he gets in. 

^XAMPI^ES 01^ SOUND CI.UB BIDS. 



O 5 3 2 

^86 

♦ K Q J 7 5 

4 8 5 3 



C7 8 6 4 

A 7 

* A Q 6 2 

# 8 6 5 4 



TUt Bl^Al^m'S MAKE. 



37 



EXAMPLES 01^ SOUND CI,UB BIDS- 



O A 6 2 

7 5 

A K J 10 7 6 

4 K 3 2 



V 7 5 

A K 4 3 

^ A 10 9 6 3 

4 7 5 



EXAMPLES 01^ UNSOUND CLUB BIDS. 





4 



4 3 
8 6 2 

A Q 7 5 3 
8 5 4 



C? A 4 

3 

^ K 10 8 7 5 3 

4 8 7 6 5 







7 5 
9 8 3 
A J 8 6 
K 5 3 



7 2 
<> 8 6 3 

♦ K J 8 6 4 3 

♦ 5 2 



O 5 4 
3 

♦ QJ 10 86432 

♦ 5 2 

This last is very alluring to the novice, but 
as the bid will certainly be changed, you, by 
declaring clubs, have told your partner you can 
take tricks in clubs and you haven't one in 
your hand. 



38 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE dEai^Er's make. 

SPADES. 

As a one spade declaration simply shows a 
poor hand, and really tells nothing about the 
spade suit, so the bid of two spades is now 
universally recognized as showing strength in 
spades and should never be made with a weak 
spade suit. Such a bid was formerly used 
for an invitation to a no-trumper with a fair 
hand that had poor spades in it, but that was 
an arbitrary convention and the idea of it has 
been found to be false. The bid of two spades 
to-day, among players of note, means strength 
in spades and a hand usually w^orth three 
tricks, at least two of which should be in 
spades. 

The ideal two spade make is a solid spade 
suit. If the suit is not solid or has only two 



THE DEAJUER'S make. 



39 



tricks in it there should be another ace, or king 
guarded, in the hand. Two spades should be 
bid with the following combinations : 



1. A K Q 

2. A Q X X X 



j> alone or with others. 



K Q 10 X X J 



(• with another ace. 



3. 



A K X X 
A Q J X 
K Q J X 



with another ace, or 
king guarded. 



A J X X X 
K J 10 X X 



with an outside ace 
king suit so short that 
you do not care to 
declare it. 



Two spades should practically never be bid 
with a spade suit queen high. 

A two spade bid usually, therefore, shows 
spades alone or strength in spades and in one 
other suit. With three suits protected it is 
nearly always a no-trumper. 



STREET ON AUCTION. 
EXAMPLES OF ONE SPADE BIDS. 



C7Q 10 6432 ^9743 

Ok5 OaJ765 

*862 *J632 

♦ 74 ♦ 



C7 9 7 5 

3 

^ KJ96432 

♦ 32 



C7 6 5 4 3 

5 4 

^ S 5 

♦ A Q 7 6 4 



EXAMPLES OF SOUND TWO SPADE BIDS. 



7 3 O A 6 4 

0863 0732 

♦ aK76 4^42 

♦ aJ92 ♦KQJ76 



O 8 7 

9 7 6 4 3 

4^ 8 5 

♦ A K Q 3 



^ 3 

K Q 6 4 

♦ 765 

♦ A Q 9 8 3 



THE dealer's make. 



41 



EXAMPLES OF UNSOUND TWO SPADE BIDS. 

084 9J875 
OaQ7 ^532 



* 7 5 4» 

♦ QJ 10 732 4iAQJ654 




4 



Q J 6 
7 5 
4 2 
A J 9 



8 6 3 







5 2 
7 6 5 
Q 8 7 
K Q J 5 3 



42 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



CHAPTER VII. 

MAKES TO THE SCORE. 

When you are 12 or more on the game you 
have more latitude in bidding and are entitled 
to declare any suit with which you think you 
have a fair chance to win the game. Here 
long suits in diamonds, and even in clubs, 
leap into prominence. Therefore your part- 
ner, with the score constantly in mind, must 
not credit you with quite the same material 
that you would have to have at a zero score. 
Nor must he make a desperate effort to change 
your make into something higher, but more 
doubtful, when he has help for your bid. The 
point of winning the game is the vital thing. 
It is absurd to imperil a good chance to do so 
by trying to make twenty or thirty points more 
on the score. Between a certain club make 
and a dubious no-trumper, be content to insure 
the game with the more modest club and not 
indulge in a doubtful venture for inadequate 
returns. 



THE SECOND BIDDER. 



43 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE SECOND BIDDER. 

As second bidder you have a choice of three 
courses of action : 

1. YOU CAN DOUBLE THE BID ALREADY MADE. 

2. YOU CAN PASS. 

3. YOU CAN DECLARE SOME NEW SUIT. 
1. DOUBLING THE BID ALREADY MADE. 

If you can take two quickly available tricks 
in any black hid which they have made you 
can double, even though short in that suit. 
The proper combinations to double black bids 
with are A K, A Q J, K Q J, K Q 10, alone or 
with others. Original black bids are probably 
going to be changed anyway, and if the bid 
was one spade your double is a helpful sug- 
gestion to your partner towards a no-trumper. 
Also, if the original bid was two spades or one 
club the dealer has invited his partner to 
make some higher bid, usually no-trump, 



44 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



counting upon him for that suit. But by 
doubhng you at once tell your partner not to 
be afraid of that suit in his bidding because 
you can take two tricks in it. 

No matter how strong you may be it is 
unwise to double a bid of one no-trump, one 
heart, or one diamond, as such a double simply 
drives the adversary into another declaration. 
A good axiom is this : // the adversary's bid 
suits your hand don't disturb it. 

2. PASSING. 

If you cannot double a black bid and have 
no thoroughly good bid of your own to make, 
you should pass. Remember you are not com- 
pelled to bid, you can always pass. Don't try 
to make any declaration unless you have a 
really strong suit, one that is worth trying for 
the game with, or contains valuable high cards 
which you want to offer your partner. 

Especially should this be observed after a 
one spade bid. Too many players are prone 
to bid after the initial declaration of one 
spade; they do not seem to realize that by 
passing they often place the third bidder in 



TH^ SECOND BIDDJ:R. 



45 



a most awkward position. He is apt, whether 
justifiably or not, to make some desperate 
effort to take his partner out of the one spade 
bid, and often declares some suit which you 
or your partner can double with magnificent 
results. To bid anything after a one spade 
bid you should have a hand stronger than 
ordinary, one that looks towards game. 

3. DKCI.ARING some: NEW SUIT. 

As stated in the preceding paragraph, after 
a one spade bid you must have a really strong 
declaration to bid on any new suit. 

After an original bid of two spades or one 
club, which are both rather tentative invita- 
tions to the partner for a no-trump make, sec- 
ond hand can often bid on some long suit with 
a fair hand as an indication to his partner of 
what to lead him if the adversary beyond 
does make no-trump. 

It is often proper and reasonable to outbid 
some suit with a declaration of higher value 
when you have a good bid, but you must be 
chary about attacking a no-trump with a bid 
of two in some red suit. If either one of the 



46 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



Opponents happens to be long in your suit, and 
they choose to drop their bid and double yours, 
you probably will have no chance to escape 
and will incur a material loss. 

Remember that it is pretty hard to get two 
odd against a no-trump make unless your part- 
ner has good help for you ; that if he has such 
help and if you get your two you are still a 
long way off from game; and that with such 
help from him you will probably be able to 
beat the no-trumper for larger profits than 
your make will net you. The 12 or 16 you are 
trying for counts little on the rubber, but 50 
or 100 in the honor column is always an 
anchor to windward. The idea of bidding two 
on some red suit to push the opponents up to 
two no-trumps, thereby making them an 
easier prey for you, was a most delightful 
scheme as long as they accepted your chal- 
lenge and were pushed, but your opponents 
may have had some trying lessons and may 
decline to be pushed, with the result that you 
have relieved them of a losing contract only 
to assume it yourself. 



THE THIRD BIDDER. 



47 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE THIRD BIDDER. 

As third bidder you have heard from your 
partner and therefore have a choice of four 
courses of action : 

1. YOU CAN DOUBLE ANY BID THE SECOND 
BIDDER HAS MADE. 

2. YOU CAN PASS. 

3. YOU CAN BID A NEW SUIT. 

4. YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR PARTNER'S BID. 

1. DOUBLING. 

If your partner has bid one spade, you as 
third bidder can practically never double a 
bid made second hand; if such a bid suits you, 
your best plan is to keep silent and hope it 
will be played. But after a strong bid by 
your partner, especially no-trumps, if second 
hand attacks with two of a suit, you at third 
hand can double when strong in that suit. 



48 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



The opponents will have difficulty in escaping 
and you are giving your partner the option 
of letting the double stand or continuing with 
his no-trump if he thinks he can go game. 

Also, after your partner's heart or diamond 
make, if second hand goes no-trump, you can 
double with a very strong hand, as they 
can probably not change their no-trump bid 
without getting into worse difficulties. 

But in doubling try to figure out where 
your profits will be the largest, and remember 
that the double is not final, that the suit can 
be changed, and if such a change seems prob- 
able it may be wiser to let the bid stand. 

2. PASSING. 

After your partner's bid of one spade, if 
second hand has bid some suit, you must be 
unusually strong to venture any bid, as you 
cannot expect much help from a one spade 
hand. 

If second hand has passed you would better 
let the one spade stand unless you have a very 
good bid of your own. Your maximum loss 



THE THIRD BIDDER. 



49 



at one spade is 100, and you can't tell what 
you may lose if any poor bid you make is 
doubled. Don't feel compelled always to take 
your partner out of a one^spade bid. With 
poor or moderate hands it is better to face a 
limited loss than to invite a catastrophe. Pass- 
ing after any other bid of your partner has 
been attacked by second hand shows one of 
two things ; either that you have but one trick 
at most and can't increase his bid, or that you 
like the opponent's bid and prefer to try to 
beat him. 

But passing when your partner's bid has 
not been attacked shows nothing; you may 
have untold riches in reserve ready to 
announce when you are needed. Yet many 
players who have been outbid by fourth hand 
after second hand and partner have both 
passed, say, ''My partner cannot have much, 
as he said nothing." But he had no need to 
say anything. Your make may have suited 
his hand beautifully. It is only when second 
hand has bid and partner has passed that his 
hand can be judged. 



50 



stre:i:t on auction. 



3. BIDDING SOME) NEW SUIT. 

If your partner bids one spade you should 
not bid on any other suit unless you think 
your loss on that suit will not exceed 100 
points. As a rule it is useless making inform- 
atory bids after your partner has bid one 
spade, so you are restricted to bids on which 
you are trying for the odd, or at least to lose 
not more than one. Your loss on the one 
spade bid is limited and you have that pro- 
tection. 

If your partner bids two spades or one 
club, or even one diamond, he is inviting you 
to make some higher bid if possible, usually 
no-trump. After such an invitation you 
should go to no-trump with a fair hand if the 
second bidder has passed, or even if he has 
bid, if you can stop his suit. Even when you 
cannot stop his suit you can make it no-trump 
with a good hand. He probably will not make 
a seven-card suit against you; such suits are 
exceptional and players holding them will 
usually bid on them twice, not knowing how 
dangerous the no-trump may prove to be. 



THE THIRD BIDDER. 



51 



Sometimes after an invitation bid by your 
partner you cannot make it no-trump, but can, 
in your turn, show your partner some suit. 
For example: He bids one club, second hand 
passes, you have a good strong spade suit and 
little else, so you bid two spades ; fourth hand 
bids a diamond, and your partner, with a stop 
in diamonds, can bid one no-trump, as the 
hearts, not having been heard from, are apt 
to be evenly divided. 

You can change any lower bid of your 
partner to one heart or one no-trump, as that 
is a move in the right direction and you are 
trying to win the game with fewer tricks. 
But usually you should not change his heart 
bid to no-trumps unless you have good 
strength in all the other suits, and hearts 
which are short and weak; practically never 
if you hold ace or king of hearts unless the 
rest of the hand is wonderful, and never with 
a short and unprotected black suit. 

All the above are progressive bids. But 
there is another class of bids which are in the 
nature of a retrograde movement, like chang- 



52 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



ing a no-trump or a heart bid to a suit of 
lower value, although second hand has said 
njothing. As you are deliberately changing 
his bid to another with which it will be more 
difficult to win the game, such a declaration 
must be regarded as a danger signal that 
should be heeded. For example : Your part- 
ner bids one no-trump, second hand passes, 
you hold five hearts to the queen, ten, and 
nothing else, so you bid two hearts. You 
have no help at all for a no-trump unless your 
partner has ace and king of hearts with one 
low one, but if this is the case you have an 
excellent heart make, and if not you probably 
will never take a trick for him at no-trump, 
and thus leave him to take seven tricks 
unaided. But by overbidding him with 
hearts, although you increase the contract by 
one, you can probably take two or three tricks 
in hearts and really make on the change. 
When you bid two hearts he must understand 
that you are telling him that you have the 
wrong kind of hearts for a no-trump er. If 
you had had five hearts to the ace king, that 



THE THIRD BIDDER. 



53 



would have been the right kind of help and 
you would have said nothing. After your bid 
of two hearts, if he has a hand worth the 
game, or one which is very strong elsewhere 
and weak in hearts, he can change back to 
two no-trumps and no harm is done. But 
often he is thankful to be relieved of the 
danger of playing a light, informatory no- 
trumper with a bad dummy, and many times 
the heart make suits his hand splendidly and 
a big score or a game is won, where at no- 
trump only one odd, or perhaps a loss, would 
have resulted. 

Occasionally you may have a hand where 
you have strong hearts and another good five- 
card suit, with the two remaining suits con- 
spicuously weak. This kind of hand it is 
always better to play at a trump make, so 
here again you should take away your part- 
ner's no-trump bid. But whether you are out- 
bidding him from strength or from weakness 
no confusion should result. You simply say 
that you feel sure the hand will work better at 
a trump make. 



54 



stre:i:t on auction. 



So, too, with a long, poor diamond suit you 
must take away your partner's no-trumper, or 
even his heart make, if you are weak and short 
in hearts. 

But for all these take-out bids you must 
have at least five cards, headed by king or 
queen or jack. With a top card lower than 
jack you might just as well let him struggle 
along with his own make; he probably won't 
lose more on his bid than you will on yours. 

With any six-card red suit you should outbid 
his no-trumper, except with a diamond suit 
headed by ace and king. 

These danger signals are applicable only to 
bids of hearts and no-trump. To overbid an 
informatory bid like a club with two spades, 
or a diamond with two clubs, is simply giving 
information and showing strong suits headed 
by good cards. 

4. INCRKASING partner's BID. 

As this case may occur not only with the 
fourth bidder, but with every bidder after 
the first round of bidding, it is explained at 
length in the next chapter. 



INCREASING partner's BID. 



55 



CHAPTER X. 

INCREASING partner's BID. 

When your partner makes his bid he does 
not expect to find your hand a perfect blank; 
he expects an average number of queens, jacks 
and tens, and also one distinct trick. The 
tabulated analysis of hundreds of hands shows 
that eighty-nine times out of one hundred your 
partner's hand will contain at least one trick. 
Therefore, if you are the partner and your 
hand has an ace or a king guarded, and a few 
scattered queens, jacks and tens, you have 
exactly what your partner presupposes you to 
have; that has already been counted into 
his make, and has been discounted beforehand. 
Therefore, to increase his Hability, to under- 
take to make another trick you must have 
another trick besides the one he credits you 
with. The logical conclusion is that you have 
no right to increase your partner's bid unless 



56 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



you can supply him with tzvo tricks. In a 
declared trump hand such tricks must be aces, 
kings, singletons and missing suits, and the 
queen of trumps with at least one other. No 
other queens or jacks should be counted as 
tricks. A missing suit with at least two 
trumps is good for two tricks and can be 
counted as an increase. So also a singleton 
ace counts as two tricks and can be used for 
an increase. 

Be careful about increasing your partner^s 
trump make when you have a singleton or 
chicane in trumps. Although you may have 
two tricks outside, your hand must be stronger 
than usual to make the increase reasonable. 

Avoid the folly of increasing your partner's 
trump bid just because you have four or five 
more trumps. He probably doesn't want more 
trumps; what he wants is side cards that will 
take tricks. The ace or the king of trumps 
of course counts for a trick ; also the queen of 
trumps with one guard, as it usually takes 
three rounds to exhaust trumps. But the jack 



INCREASING partner's BID. 57 

of trumps, even with four others, is of little 
value unless there is also some singleton or 
missing suit in the hand, whereupon the single- 
ton or the missing suit is really the reason for 
the increase and not the five trumps. Yet the 
idea is persistent and prevalent that unless you 
have strength in trumps you ought not to help 
your partner, and that four or five more is 
just what he wants the most. There is hardly 
a player of Auction who has not suffered from 
this mania, when his partner has carried his 
bid up and up and after the deadly double 
has been administered by the opponent, has 
proudly laid down a poor, evenly divided hand 
containing five trumps with the remark: 
''There, partner, that ought to help!'' It 
usually does help the opponent to 200 or 300. 
And yet this kind of player never seems to 
learn and is always bewailing his hard luck 
There is such a disease as ''trumpitis" — the 
holding of too many trumps and not enough 
else. It is well to become immune to that 
early in the battle ; a very light attack should 
suffice. 



58 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



In no-trump hands where singletons and 
missing suits are of no avail you have a little 
more latitude. If your increasing cards were 
limited to aces and kings only, you could sel- 
dom bid. The no-trump maker is likely to 
have two, probably three, of these eight high 
cards ; the opponent who has outbid him has 
probably one or two. So here a well-guarded 
queen or jack in the adversaries' suit can be 
counted as a trick. Therefore in no-trump 
hands you can increase with two aces, or with 
an ace and a king, if one of these is in the 
opponents' suit; or with an ace and protection 
in their suit as shown above, a queen or jack 
guarded; but not without an ace, that is with 
just a king and protection in their suit. With- 
out an ace you must either protect three suits 
or have a good suit like king, queen and three 
others, or king, queen, jack and another, 
together with protection in their suit. 

The criticism is often advanced that a king 
unless guarded by a queen is not a trick, that 
it often loses. Sometimes that is true, yet so 
often when it loses it promotes some card in 



INCREASING PARTNE:r'S BID. 59 



your partner's hand, some queen or jack, that 
it really wins, either directly or indirectly, 
much more often than it loses. A good prin- 
ciple is to count kings to win unless that suit 
has been declared on your left, and count 
finesses to lose unless that suit has been 
declared on your right. But with two kings 
it is only fair to count one to lose and one to 
win, and also the same with two finesses. 

To increase your partner's no-trump bid 
after he has been outbid you should usually 
be able to stop the opponents' suit. Such a 
stop may be an ace, a guarded king (on the 
left of the declaration) or a guarded queen, 
jack, or jack, ten. Queen and two low is 
hardly protection, as it can easily be led 
through. But there are three cases when you 
can increase your partner's bid without a stop 
in the opponents' suit: 

1. When you have two aces, 

2. When you have a solid suit like ace, 
king, queen and two others. 

3. When you have a good suit that can be 
readily cleared, together with another ace. 



60 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



In all these three cases you have such strong 
assistance for your partner that it seems that 
he himself must have protection in the oppo- 
nents' suit. Of course he may not have such 
protection, but in such cases the chances of 
a great loss are small. With a very long red 
suit the opponents are likely again to out- 
bid you. 

Be very careful in increasing your partner's 
bid not to use the same material twice. If you 
have bid one club on five to the ace king, and 
your partner makes it a heart and is outbid 
by two diamonds, you cannot now increase 
with your ace and king of clubs, as you have 
already used those cards in your bid, and 
your partner may have ventured a heart only 
because he is counting upon you for two tricks 
in clubs. To increase with nothing additional 
would be like trying to spend the same money 
twice. Of course, if you have another trick, 
then you can add to his bid. A peculiar 
instance, and one hard to define, arises when 
you have made it no-trump and your partner 



INCREASING partner's BID. 61 

has changed your make to two hearts or two 
diamonds and has been outbid. You can only 
try to guess his trump holding, but if the 
make suits your hand you can continue with it. 
But it is dangerous to go far with a red bid 
which your partner has made taking you out 
of your no-trump, as he can't have much else 
except trumps, and they cannot be very good, 
or if they are he will continue the bidding 
himself. 



62 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



CHAPTER XI. 

THE FOURTH BIDDER. 

Your choice as fourth bidder is practically 
the same as that of third, except that you 
have heard from your partner and from both 
adversaries. When the bid comes to you the 
hand should be at least outHned, and your 
position is often the most advantageous. Your 
best chance to double is when the third bidder 
has ventured some doubtful make in trying to 
take his partner out of a one spade bid. 

The rules laid down for the third bidder are 
the same that you should observe when you 
are the fourth. 

There are, however, two important cases 
where you must exercise great caution. The 
first is when third hand has bid an invitation 
for a no-trump which the dealer, beyond you, 
is likely to make. Here you should try to 
show a fair long suit to your partner so that 



the: f'ourth bidder. 



63 



he may lead it to you in case the no-trump is 
declared. For example: The dealer bids one 
club, your partner passes, third hand bids one 
diamond, and you have a long suit of hearts 
to the queen, jack, with an outside ace. You 
should bid one heart, as, if they go to no- 
trump, you want that suit led before you lose 
your re-entry. 

The second case is when one spade was the 
original bid and the other two players have 
passed. Unless you have a very good hand, 
one that looks toward game, it does no harm 
to let them have their one spade bid, especially 
if you are long or strong in spades. You are 
pretty sure to beat them SO or 100 on the 
spade bid, and it is rare that an informatory 
bid here will unearth a make worth the game. 
If you disturb the one spade bid the oppo- 
nents may try something else that will not suit 
your hand so well. So, too, with doubling, 
which is useless, as you can't win but 100 
anyway, and again give them the chance to 
escape. Here are four cases where you, at 
fourth hand, should pass a one spade bid : 



64 



stre:et on auction. 



O K 7 3 
K J 4 
4^ 3 2 



9 5 

A K Q 

10 4 2 



A 4 3 
A 6 2 
9 



6 4 
10 5 

A Q J 2 



4^ KQ973 A 10 752 J98633 10 9832 
There can actually be over 300 situations, 
according to differences in the previous three 
bids, which fourth hand may have to confront, 
Therefore, it is only by exercising the greatest 
care and by gleaning every inference, positive 
and negative, that he can arrive at his decision. 
But usually his line of action is well marked 
and he can prophesy which way the balance is 
likely to swing. 



CONTINUING YOUR OWN SUIT. 



65 



CHAPTER XIL 

CONTINUING YOUR OWN SUIT. 

After the first round of the bidding every 
player must consider and give due weight to 
the same choice of action which the fourth 
bidder has. You must now add, however, to 
the choice of doubHng, passing, making some 
new suit, or increasing partner's bid, the extra 
option of continuing your own bid; and it is 
here that many a player makes a fatal slip. 
Just because you have begun with some suit 
there is no need to nail that flag to your 
mast and continue to ruin. Many a bid 
is tried once only, to be instantly abandoned 
in the face of opposition. It is the flexible 
player who wins in the long run. Unless you 
can count upon six tricks in your own hand 
you should not bid twice upon it without wait- 
ing to hear from your partner. If your part* 
ner has not two tricks you cannot win your 



66 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



bid, and if he has two tricks he will bid. If 
you can't take but five and he has but one 
you are bidding yourself in for a loss of two, 
which if doubled would prove costly. But 
with six tricks fairly sure in your hand 
(counting kings guarded to win and finesses 
to lose) you can go to two of your bid without 
waiting for your partner. No-trumpers are 
hard to judge, especially if you have a poor 
suit which the opponent might open. Yet even 
here you can usually figure out about how 
many tricks you can take, unless some huge 
suit lies masked against you. Nevertheless, a 
no-trump hand is nearly always a hand of 
uncertainty. But it is so easy to count a 
trump hand that it is one of the mysteries 
of the game that so few players do it. The 
secret of counting a trump hand is to count 
your losing cards and not your winners. Esti* 
mate what the opponents can make against 
you and, eliminating those, arrive at the true 
worth of your hand. First look for and count 
your losing cards. In no other way can you 



CONTINUING YOUR OWN SUIT. 67 



SO surely become expert in valuing a hand. 
Your judgment must be based on four 
premises, four things you consider to be true : 

1. That the rest of the cards in any suit 
you hold will be evenly divided unless that 
suit be bid upon by an opponent. 

2. That your partner has one trick. 

3. That kings guarded will win unless 
you have heard some bid which would lead 
you to think otherwise. 

4. That finesses will lose. 

To begin with, study the following column 
of combinations in trumps and see how many 
tricks you should count to lose and what is 
the value of the remainder. 



TRUMPS. 



IvOSING VAIvUE: 
CARDS. IN TRICKS. 



A K 6 5 4 3 2 
K Q 8 6 5 4 2 



7 

1 6 



A K 8 5 4 3 
A Q 7 6 5 2 
K Q 9 8 3 2 



1 

2 



2 



5 
4 
4 



68 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



I.OSING VAI.UE 
TRUMPS. CARDS. IN TRICKS. 



A K Q 3 2 





5 


A K 6 4 2 


1 


4 


A Q T 7 5 


1 


4 


K Q J 5 4 


1 


4 


A Q 9 8 3 


2 


3 


K Q 10 6 3 


2 


3 


K Q 7 5 2 


2 


3 


A J 10 9 3 


2 


3 


A 10 7 5 3 


2 


3 


Q J 10 4 2 


2 


3 


A K Q 5 





4 


K Q J 7 


1 


3 


A Q J 6 


1 


3 


A Q 3 2 


2 


2 



The same principle of counting losses can be 
applied to each plain suit in a trump hand, and 
remember here that a singleton or a missing 
suit which is such valuable aid to offer your 
partner for his make, is not an element of 
strength in your own hand, but rather of 
weakness, as your trumps will be constantly 
weakened by ruffing. 



CONTINUING YOUR OWN SUIT. 69 



This method of counting your hand is illus- 
trated in the following hands: 

i,oss 

^ K Q 6 4 2 2 

A K 5 1 
No. 1. ^ 9 g 7 3 

♦ 5 4 ^ 

8 

Value, five tricks. Bid one heart and then 
stop. 



No. 2. 



IvOSS 

07 A K 9 7 6 1 
4 1 
* A 7 3 2 
^ 8 6 4 2 4 



8 

Value, five tricks. Bid one heart and stop. 



No, 3. 



I.OSS 

O QJ 10 7642 2 
7 5 3 3 

♦ Q 2 2 

♦ 7 1 



8 

Value, five tricks. Bid one spade originally, 
but over a diamond or club go one heart 
and stop. 



70 STREET ON AUCTION. 



I.OSS 

^ A K Q 5 3 
7 6 2 

♦ A Q 5 2 

♦ 6 4 2 3 



No. 4. 



7 

Value, six tricks. Here you can bid one 
heart, and even two if outbid, as your hand 
is worth six tricks. 



No. 5. 



I.OSS 

OAQ7642 2 
A K 3 1 

♦ 5 4 2 

♦ 6 2 2 



7 

Value, six tricks. Same as No. 4 above. 



No. 6. 



I.OSS 

A 10 876432 1 
7 1 
^5 1 
♦ 10 9 4 3 



Value, seven tricks. Counting one from 
partner, you can go on to a bid of two, but 
must stop there. 



CONTINUING YOUR OWN SUIT. 71 



I.OSS 



No. 7. 



C7KQJ642 1 

7 1 

♦ A 3 2 2 

♦ Q J 4 2 



6 

Value, seven tricks. Bid the same as No. 6. 



No. 8. 



LOSS 

OAJ 10 765 2 
3 2 2 

♦ 

♦ Q J 10 6 4 2 



6 

Value, seven tricks. Your spades should 
clear for three tricks, so with one from your 
partner you can go to a bid of two. 



I.OSS 

OAQ7642 2 

No. 9. ' 1 
4b A 10 6 5 4 2 

6 

Value, seven tricks. With one from part- 
ner, worth a bid of two only. 



72 STREET ON AUCTION. 



No. 10. 



hOSS 

O A Q J 5 4 1 
3 2 2 
* 7 1 
4^ A K 6 5 3 1 



5 

Value, eight tricks. A good plain suit of 
five or more cards strengthens a trump make 
enormously. With partner's one trick you 
can go to three on hearts. 

IvOSS 

C? A Q J 10 5 1 
K 8 3 2 

* 4 1 

♦ K Q J 5 1 



No. 11. 



5 

Value, eight tricks. This hand is worth a 
bid of three hearts and, if necessary, four, as 
four honors in one hand in hearts or diamonds 
can be counted as a trick in bidding. 



No. 12. 



i,oss 

C7 6 4 2 
OAK8765 1 

4^ 

4^ A K 7 4 2 1 



4 

Value, nine tricks. You can go to a bid 
of four in diamonds. 



CONTINUING YOUR OWN SUIT. 



73 



No. 13. 



C7 K Q J 8 6 4 

3 

♦ A Q J 7 5 3 

♦ 



I.OSS 

1 
1 
1 





3 



Value, ten tricks. Worth a bid of five. 

In all the above hands you count on your 
partner for one trick. If he bids he has two, 
and one more for each successive time he may 
bid. Thus the limit of your probable success 
is exactly defined. It is fair, however, to 
overbid your hand one after the adversaries 
have won a game and their present make looks 
dangerous, thus taking the chance to lose 50 
or 100 to keep them from going out. But to 
overbid your hand two and three tricks, to take 
a chance of losing 200 or 300 when you also 
later on may lose the rubber, is arrant folly. 
Let that rubber go and use any good hand 
you expect to hold to win a game on the next 
rubber. There is no profit in paying heavily 
in the honor column to buy the chance to win 
a rubber which, when won, nets you a loss in 



74 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



points. Rubbers that you win should show 
you a clean gain to offset those that you 
must lose. 

This then, should be the way to judge your 
hand: Count your losing cards and arrive at 
the value of your hand; add in one trick for 
your partner, unless he has bid, in which case 
add two; if you have four honors in hearts 
or diamonds bid one more (as in hand No. 11 
above), and still another if it seems dangerous 
to let the opponents have their bid when they 
are a game to the good. Of course you may 
even thus incur a much larger loss than you 
anticipate ; trumps may be massed against you ; 
your partner may have a blank hand, and your 
plain suit may be ruffed at once or may not 
clear. But it is seldom that everything lies 
badly, and you will find by following faith- 
fully and carefully this method of bidding you 
will rarely meet with the heavy losses that are 
so frequent with players whose bidding is 
full of emotion and enthusiasm, but devoid 
of mathematics. 



DOUBUNG. 



75 



CHAPTER XIII. 

DOUBLING. 

As second bidder you can double black bids 
when you can take two tricks in them, simply 
for information to your partner, knowing they 
probably will be changed. But you almost 
never should double a bid of one diamond, one 
heart or one no-trump for fear that it will be 
changed. 

But after the bidding has continued up to 
3 or 4 on some suit it is often profitable to 
drop your bid and double theirs. Your double 
is practically a wager that they won't make 
good their bid. But remember that you are 
doubling only for an extra SO points a trick, 
as you get 50 points a trick anyway if you 
beat them with no double. However, if they 
make good their bid they beat you for 50 
points a trick and their trick score doubled, 
so that the odds are against you on every 
double you make. If, for example, they bid 



76 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



four diamonds and you double and beat 
them a trick, you win 50 points more than 
you would have won without the double. But 
should they get their four odd they beat you 
that same 50 points, plus their trick score 
doubled, or 24 more. Therefore you are 
laying them odds of 74 to 50, or 3 to 2, that 
they can't win. In addition to this, to double 
two or three hearts, or three or four diamonds, 
at a zero score often causes the loss of the 
game. Watch the score constantly in 
doubling; many a double can be tried when 
the adversaries' make would carry them out 
anyway, which would not be advisable other- 
wise. It is too great odds to offer them 
74 and a game, or perhaps rubber, for the 
sake of winning a paltry 50. 

The vexed question often arises between 
doubling when you know you can almost cer- 
tainly beat them for 200 or 300, and going on 
with your own bid and winning the game. If 
it is your second game, and therefore means 
the rubber, it is usually safer to win the rub- 



DOUBLING. 



77 



ber, which really means 500 points, as you are 
either winning or losing 250. If it is your 
first game you will do better to take the 200 
or 300 in the honor column. Players are apt 
to misplay the situation which occurs when 
they are in the second game and the opponents 
have won the first. They will try to win the 
game and give up a probable 200 or 300 in the 
honor column to do so. That is shortsighted. 
The game they are trying to win may do them 
no good ; the opponents may win the next and 
the rubber. But if they take 200 or 300 in the 
honor column they will reduce the rubber, if 
they lose it, to very small proportions. Win 
your second game by all means, but take 200 
rather than your first. 

When your partner has doubled and you 
cannot help his double very well, but think 
you can go game on your hand, it is wiser to 
overbid him and try for the game, unless the 
situation is similar to the one just explained. 

When your partner has been doubled you 
naturally should make some efifort to take him 
out, but don't try to do so with poor material, 



78 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



as you yourself may be doubled and only get 
deeper into the mire. Also, it becomes a much 
better take-out when you are reducing his con- 
tract, or at least making a bid of the same 
number. If he bids three clubs and is doubled, 
a bid of two hearts to take him out at least 
reduces the contract, and you can do so with 
a good heart hand. But avoid all those des- 
perate measures which invite larger losses* 
Perhaps after all your partner is stronger than 
the opponents think and will win the double 
and a good score. 

When the opponents have been bidding 
hearts and diamonds against each other and 
have settled upon their final bid, which you 
know you can double and beat, it is unwise to 
do so, as they will surely go back into the other 
bid, which may not suit your hand. 

The reckless way in which this chastising- 
rod of the double is flourished about by incom- 
petent players makes one almost ready to give 
to the student of doubling the famous advice 
of Punch to those meditating getting married, 
namely, ''Don't.'' 



THE OPENING I.EAD. 



79 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE OPENING I,EAD. 
1. AGAINST A NO-TRUMP DECI^ARATION. 

Your Opening lead in Auction is often not 
what you would have led at straight Bridge, 
owing to the fact that your partner may have 
bid on some suit. After such a bid it is 
usually right to lead him his suit. But when 
you have a good five-card suit of your own it 
is often better to open that, especially if he has 
bid only once on his suit, or again, if you have 
only a singleton in it, but have entries for your 
own suit. If he has bid twice on his suit, or if 
you have two of it for him, or if you have no 
very good suit of your own you should lead 
him his as follows : 

Holding a short suit, two or three cards, 
lead the best and follow with the next best. 

Holding four or more, lead ace or king, or 
the top of two cards in sequence (not lower 



80 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



than the ten nine.) Sometimes though, if the 
no-trump has been declared after your part- 
ner's bid, they may have the queen guarded 
and a low lead is better from the king and 
three low. 

Holding four or more cards not headed by 
ace or king, or by two high cards in sequence, 
lead low and allow your partner to count 
your hand. 

If your partner has made no bid, lead as in 
Bridge except with ace king suits. With ace, 
king and two others you should lead the king, 
see dummy, and observe what your partner 
plays. You need not lead the ace next, nor 
indeed continue that suit if it does not look 
good, but as an opening, it does more good 
than harm. With five or six, however, to the 
ace king, and no other entry, lead low. But 
with an entry like an ace, a king guarded, or 
even a queen jack, guarded, of the suit the 
opponents have bid on before they made no- 
trump, you should lead high and clear your 
suit. 



THE OPENING IvEAD. 



81 



When your suit has been bid by the adver- 
saries, or when it is of four cards only, with- 
out two honors, it is often better to open a 
short suit, preferably black. 

If your partner has doubled a no-trump, no 
suit having been shown, lead him your best 
spade. If he has doubled after either one of 
you has bid, lead the suit declared. If he has 
doubled after you have bid on one suit and he 
on another, lead his suit and not your own, 
unless yours is established. 

2. AGAINST A DECIvARED TRUMP. 

In a declared trump hand you should lead 
any suit your partner has bid on as in no- 
trump, the highest of two or three, and the ace 
or king, or the higher of two sequence cards 
in suits of four or more. But don't lead his 
suit if you have an ace king suit, a singleton, 
or a long suit of your own with four or more 
trumps. 

If he has not bid, open your hand as in 
Bridge. 



82 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



CHAPTER XV. 

DISCARD. 

The rules for discard in Auction are the 
same as in Bridge, bearing in mind that pro- 
tection to the hand is the greatest thing to 
consider, and should rank first. Information 
to your partner is secondary. The discard of 
any card lower than the seven (unless fol- 
lowed later by a card still lower) is negative 
and simply tells your partner you don't want 
him to lead that suit. The discard of a seven 
or higher (unless followed by a card still 
higher) shows strength in that suit. Early in 
the hand it asks your partner to change to 
that suit, but later it simply shows the ace 
or protection to help him in his discards. 

For explanations of Second Hand Play, 
Third Hand Play, Holding Up, Unblocking, 
Management of Trump Hands, etc., the author 



DISCARD. 



83 



begs to refer the student to his book, ''Good 
Bridge" (Dodd, Mead & Co.), where these 
topics have been fully covered. 



84 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



CHAPTER XVL 
don't. 

Don't bid unless you have something valuable 
to declare. 

Don't carry your bid too far; learn when to 

relinquish it. 
Don't count on much from your partner if he 

has declined to assist you ; he can have but 

one trick at most. 
Don't increase your partner's bid without two 

real tricks, not queens and jacks or more 

trumps. 

Don't be diverted from winning the rubber 
game by an attractive double. The rubber 
is worth 500 points. 

Don't double trump makes when your tricks 
lie in some long suit; they will probably be 
trumped at once. 

Don't be rash about doubling two hearts or 
three diamonds; you may put the oppo- 
nents out. 



don't. 



85 



Don't take your partner out of a make in 

which he has been doubled unless you think 

you will lose less on your make. 
Don't double when the opponents can change 

to something else. If their make suits you 

let it stand. 

Don't pile up losses in the opponents' honor 
column; that is the only way you can lose 
big rubbers. 

Don't lose any early advantage you have 
gained by pressing forward to win more or 
to go out. Wait for the good hands. 

Don't waste your good hands in making up 
useless losses you have invited with poor 
hands. Save your good hands to win games 
and rubbers with. 

Don't fail to keep the score in sight and in 
mind with every bid you make. 



86 



87 



Through the courtesy of The Whist Club of 
New York the laws and amendments adapted 
and in use there are here given. 



88 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



INDEX TO 
WHIST CI.UB LAWS. 

Cards played in Error, 82, 84, 85. 

Consultation about Penalties, 92, 98. 

Declaration, 44-49, 51-53, 59, 60. 

Doubling, 45, 54-60. 

Exposed Cards, 67-72, 80, 88. 

Lead out of Turn, 76-78. 

New Deal, 40-43, 58, 83. 

Penalties, 49, 64, 75, 78, 81, 86, 91, 97. 

Spade loss Limit, 50. 

The Revoke, 75, 79, 83, 85-91. 

The Score, 1-13, 49, 57. 



I.AWS OF AUCTION. 



89 



the; I.AWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE. 

Containing Amendments of December, 1910, 

Copyrighted 1910, 
by The Whist Club, of New York. 

The Rubber 

1. The partners first winning two games 
win the rubber. If the first two games decide 
the rubber^ a third is not played. 

Scoring 

2. A game consists of thirty points ob- 
tained by tricks alone, exclusive of any points 
counted for honors, chicane, slam, little slam, 
bonus or undertricks. 

3. Every deal is played out, and any points 
in excess of the thirty necessary for the 
game are counted. 

4. When the declarer wins the number of 
tricks bid, each one above six counts towards 
the game two points when spades are trumps, 
four when clubs are trumps, six when dia- 



90 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



monds are trumps, eight when hearts are 
trumps, and twelve when there are no trumps. 

5. Honors are ace, king, queen, knave, and 
ten of the trump suit; or the aces when no 
trump is declared. 

6. Honors are credited in the honor col- 
umn to the original holders, being valued 
exactly as in Bridge. 

7. Slam is made when seven by cards is 
scored, independently of tricks taken as pen- 
alty for the revoke; it adds forty points to 
the honor count.* 

8. Little slam is made when six by cards 
is similarly scored ; it adds twenty points to 
the honor count.* 

9. Chicane (one hand void of trumps) is 
equal in value to simple honors, i. e., if the 
partners, one of whom has chicane, score 
honors, it adds the value of three honors to 
their honor score; if the adversaries score 
honors it deducts that value from theirs. 
Double chicane (both hands void of trumps) 

*Ivaw 86 prohibits the revoking side from scoring slam 
or little slam. 



I.AWS 01^ AUCTION. 



91 



is equal in value to four honors, and that 
value must be deducted from the honor score 
of the adversaries. 

10. The value of honors, slam, little slam 
or chicane, is not affected by doubling or re- 
doubling. 

11. At the conclusion of a rubber the trick 
and honor scores of each side are added, 
and 250 points added to the score of the win- 
ners. The difference between the completed 
scores is the number of points of the rubber. 

12. A proven error in the honor score may 
be corrected at any time before the score of 
the rubber has been made up and agreed upon. 

13. A proven error in the trick score may 
be corrected prior to the conclusion of the 
game in which it occurred. Such game shall 
not be considered concluded until a declara- 
tion has been made in the following game, or 
if it be the final game of the rubber, until 
the score has been made up and agreed upon. 

Cutting 

14. In cutting, the ace is the lowest card; 
as between cards of otherwise equal value, 



92 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



the lowest is the heart, next the diamond, 
next the club, and highest the spade. 

15. Every player must cut from the same 
pack. 

16. Should a player expose more than one 
card the highest is his cut. 

Forming Tables 

17. The prior right of playing is with 
those first in the room. If there be more 
than four candidates, the privilege of play- 
ing is decided by cutting. The four who 
cut the lowest cards play first. 

18. After the table is formed the players 
cut to decide upon partners, the lower two 
playing against the higher two. The lowest 
is the dealer who has choice of cards and 
seats, and who, having made his selection, 
must abide by it. 

19. Six players constitute a complete table. 

20. The right to succeed any player who 
may retire is acquired by announcing the 
desire to do so, and such announcement shall 
constitute a prior right to the first vacancy. 



LAWS 01^ AUCTION. 



93 



Cutting Out 

21. If, at the end of a rubber, admission 
be claimed by one or two candidates, the 
player or players having played the greatest 
number of consecutive rubbers shall with- 
draw; but when all have played the same 
number, they must cut to decide upon the 
outgoers ; the highest are out.* 

Rights of Entry 

22. A candidate desiring to enter a table 
must declare such wish before any player at 
the table cuts a card, for the purpose either 
of beginning a new rubber or of cutting out. 

23. In the formation of new tables those 
candidates who have not played at any other 
table have the prior right of entry. Those 
who have already played decide their right 
to admission by cutting. 

24. When one or more players belonging 
to another talDle aid in making up a new 
one the new players at such table shall be 
the first to go out. 

*See lyaw 14 as to value of cards in cutting. 



94 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



25. A player who cuts into one table, while 
belonging to another, shall forfeit his prior 
right of re-entry into the latter, unless he has 
helped to form a new table. In this event he 
may signify his intention of returning to his 
original table when his place at the new one 
can be filled. 

26. Should any player quit the table dur- 
ing the progress of a rubber, he may, with the 
consent of the other three, appoint a substi- 
tute to play during his absence; but such 
appointment shall become void with the con- 
clusion of the rubber, and shall not in any 
way affect the substitute's rights. 

27. If anyone break up a table the remain- 
ing players have a prior right at other tables. 

Shuffling 

28. The pack must not be shuffled below 
the table nor so that the face of any card may 
be seen. 

29. The dealer's partner must collect the 
cards from the preceding deal and has the 
right to shuffle the cards first. Each player 



I,AWS OF AUCTION. 95 

has the right to shuffle subsequently. The 
dealer has the right to shuffle last ; but, should 
a card or cards be seen during the shuffling, 
or while giving the pack to be cut, he must 
reshuffle. 

30. After shuffling, the cards properly col- 
lected must be placed face downward to the 
left of the next dealer. 

The Deal 

31. Each player deals in his turn ; the order 
of dealing is to the left. 

32. The player on the dealer's right cuts 
the pack, and in dividing it he must leave 
not fewer than four cards in each packet; 
if in cutting or in replacing one of the two 
packets a card be exposed, or if there be any 
confusion or a doubt as to the exact place in 
which the pack was divided, there must be a 
fresh cut. 

33. When the player whose duty it is to 
cut has once separated the pack, he can neither 
reshuffle nor recut, except as provided in 
Law 32. 



96 STREE^T ON AUCTION. 

34. Should the dealer shuffle the cards 
after the cut, the pack must be cut again. 

35. The fifty-two cards shall be dealt face 
downward. The deal is not completed until 
the last card has been dealt. 

36. There is no penalty for a misdeal. The 
cards must be dealt again. 

A New Deal 

37. There must be a new deal— 

a — If the cards be not dealt into four packets, one 
at a time and in regular rotation, beginning at 
the dealer's left. 

h — If, during a deal, or during the play, the pack 
be proven incorrect or imperfect. 

c — If any card be faced in the pack or be exposed 
during the deal, on, above, or below the table. 

d — If any player have dealt to him a greater num- 
ber of cards than thirteen, whether discovered 
before or during the play. 

e — If the dealer deal two cards at once and then 
deal a third before correcting the error. 

/ — If the dealer omit to have the pack cut and 
either adversary calls attention to the fact 
prior to the completion of the deal and before 
either adversary has looked at any of his cards. 



LAWS OF AUCTION. 



97 



g — If the last card do not come in its regular 

order to the dealer. 
(38 and 39 have been struck out.) 

40. Should three players have their right 
number of cards, the fourth, less than thir- 
teen and not discover such deficiency until 
he has played, the deal stands; he, not being 
dummy, is answerable for any established 
revoke he may have made as if the missing 
card or cards had been in his hand. Any 
player may search the other pack for it or 
them. 

41. If, during the play, a pack be proven 
incorrect or imperfect, such proof renders the 
current deal void but does not afifect any prior 
score. (See Law 37b.) If during or at the 
conclusion of the play one player be found 
to hold more than the proper number of cards 
and another have an equal number less, the 
hand is void. 

42. A player dealing out of turn or with 
the adversaries' cards may be corrected before 
the last card is dealt, otherwise the deal must 



98 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



Stand, and the game proceed as if the deal 
had been correct. 

43. A player can neither cut, shuffle nor 
deal for his partner without the permission 
of his adversaries. 

Declaring Trumps 

44. The dealer, having examined his hand, 
must declare to win at least one odd trick, 
either with a trump suit, or at "no trumps." 

45. After the dealer has made his declara- 
tion, each player in turn, commencing with 
the player on the dealer's left, has the right 
to pass or to make a higher declaration, or 
to double the last declaration made, or to 
redouble a declaration which has been doubled, 
subject to the provisions of Law 55. 

46. A declaration of a greater number of 
tricks in a suit of lower value, which equals 
the last declaration in value of points, shall 
be considered a higher declaration — e. g., a 
declaration of "Two Spades'' is a higher 
declaration than "One Club," and "Two Dia- 
monds" is higher than "One No-Trump." 



I^AWS OF AUCTION. 99 

47. A player in his turn may overbid the 
previous declaration any number of times, and 
may also overbid his partner, but he cannot 
overbid his own declaration which has been 
passed by the other three players. 

48. When the final declaration has been 
made — i. e., when the last declaration has been 
passed by the other three players — the player 
who has made such declaration (or in the 
case where both partners have made declara- 
tions in the same suit, or of ''No Trumps,'' 
the player who first made such declaration) 
shall play the combined hands of himself and 
of his partner, the latter becoming dummy. 

49. When the player of the two hands 
(hereinafter termed "the declarer'') wins at 
least as many tricks as he declared to do, 
he scores the full value of the tricks won 
(see Laws 4 and 6). When he fails, his 
adversaries score in the honor column fifty 
points for each under trick — i. e., each trick 
short of the number declared; or, if the 
declaration have been doubled, or redoubled, 



100 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



100 or 200 respectively for each such trick; 
neither the declarer nor his adversaries score 
anything towards the game. 

50. The loss on the declaration of "One 
Spade'' shall be limited to 100 points in respect 
of under-tricks, whether doubled or not, unless 
redoubled. 

51. If a player make a declaration (other 
than passing) out of turn, either adversary 
may demand a new deal, or may allow the 
declaration so made to stand, when the bidding 
shall continue as if the declaration had been 
in order. 

52. If a player in bidding, fail to declare 
a number of tricks sufficient to overbid the 
previous declaration, he shall be considered 
to have declared the requisite number of 
tricks in the bid which he has made, and 
either adversary may call attention to the 
insufficient bid; but if either of them pasSj 
double, or make a higher declaration, the 
offence is condoned. When the insufficient 
declaration is corrected to the requisite num- 



I.AWS AUCTION. 



101 



ber of tricks in the bid, the partner of the 
declarer (in error) shall be debarred from 
making any further declaration unless either 
of his adversaries make a higher declaration 
or double. If a player make an impossible 
declaration, it is equivalent to a bid of all 
the tricks, in which case neither the offending 
player nor his partner can make any further 
declaration during that hand unless either 
adversary double. The opponents of the 
offending player may either of them demand a 
new deal, or they may treat the declaration 
as a final bid. 

53. After the final declaration has been 
made, a player is not entitled to give his part- 
ner any information as to a previous declara- 
tion, whether made by himself or by either 
adversary, but a player is entitled to inquire, 
at any time during the play of the hand, what 
was the final declaration. 

Doubling and Redoubling 

54. The effect of doubling and redoubling 
is that the value of each trick over six is 



102 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



doubled or quadrupled, as provided in Law 4 ; 
but it does not alter the value of a declara- 
tion — e, g,, a declaration of ''Two Diamonds'' 
is higher than "One No Trump/' although the 
''No Trump" declaration has been doubled. 

55. Any declaration can be doubled and 
redoubled once, but not more; a player can* 
not double his partner's declaration, nor re- 
double his partner's double, but he may re- 
double a declaration of his partner which has 
been doubled by an adversary. 

56. The act of doubling, or redoubling, 
reopens the bidding. When a declaration has 
been doubled or redoubled, any player, includ- 
ing the declarer or his partner, can in his 
proper turn make a further declaration of 
higher value. 

57. When a player whose declaration has 
been doubled makes good his declaration by 
winning at least the declared number of tricks, 
he scores a bonus which consists of fifty points 
in the honor column for winning the number 
of tricks declared, and a further fifty points 



I.AWS 01^ AUCTION. 



103 



for each additional trick he may win. If he 
or his partner have redoubled, the bonus is 
doubled. 

58. If a player double out of turn, either 
adversary may demand a new deal. 

59. When the final declaration has been 
made the play shall begin, and the player on 
the left of the declarer shall lead. 

60. Al declaration once made cannot be 
altered, unless it has been doubled or a higher 
declaration made. 

Dummy 

61. As soon as the eldest hand has led, the 
declarer's partner shall place his cards face 
upward on the table, and the duty of playing 
the cards from that hand shall devolve upon 
the declarer. 

62. Before placing his cards upon the table 
the declarer's partner has all the rights of a 
player, but after so doing takes no part what- 
ever in the play, except that he has the right: 

a — To ask the declarer whether he have any 
of a suit which he may have renounced: 



104 stre:kt on auction. 

b — To call the declarer's attention to the 

fact that too many or too few cards have 

been played to a trick; 
c — To correct the claim of either adversary 

to a penalty to which the latter is not 

entitled ; 

d — To call attention to the fact that a trick 
has been erroneously taken by either 
side ; 

e — To participate in the discussion of any 
disputed question of fact after it has 
arisen between the declarer and either 
adversary ; 

/ — To correct an erroneous score. 

63. Should the declarer's partner call 
attention to any other incident of the play in 
consequence of which any penalty might have 
been exacted, the declarer is precluded from 
exacting such penalty. 

64. If the declarer's partner, by touching a 
card or otherwise, suggest the play of a card 
from .dummy, either adversary may, without 
consultation, call upon the declarer to play 
or not to play the card suggested. 



IvAWS AUCTION. 



105 



65. Dummy is not liable to the penalty 
for a revoke; if he revoke and the error be 
not discovered until the trick is turned and 
quitted, the trick must stand. 

66. A card from the declarer's own hand 
is not played until actually quitted ; but should 
he name or touch a card in the dummy, such 
card is considered as played unless he, in 
touching the card, say, ''I arrange,'' or words 
to that effect. If he simultaneously touch two 
or more such cards, he may elect which one 
to play. 

Cards Exposed Before Play 

67. If, after the cards have been dealt, and 
before the trump declaration has been finally 
determined, any player expose a card from his 
hand, either adversary may demand a new 
deal. If the deal be allowed to stand, the 
exposed card may be picked up, and cannot be 
called. If any player lead before the final 
declaration has been determined, the partner 
of the offending player may not make any 
further bid during that hand, and the declarer 



106 



stre:kt on auction. 



may call a lead from the adversary whose turn 
it is to lead. 

68. If, after the final declaration has been 
accepted and before a card is led, the part- 
ner of the player who has to lead to the first 
trick, expose a card from his hand, the 
declarer may, instead of calling the card, 
require the leader not to lead the suit of the 
exposed card ; if so exposed by the leader 
it is subject to call. 

Cards Exposed During Play 

69. All cards exposed after the original 
lead by the declarer's adversaries are liable 
to be called, and such cards must be left face 
upward on the table. 

70. The following are exposed cards : 
1st — Two or more cards played at once. 

2d — Any card dropped with its face upward 
on the table, even though snatched up 
so quickly that it cannot be named. 

3d — Any card so held by a player that his 
partner sees any portion of its face. 



I.AWS 01^ AUCTION. 



107 



4th — ^Any card mentioned by either adver- 
sary as being held by him or his partner. 

71. A card dropped on the floor or else- 
where below the table or so held that an adver- 
sary but not the partner sees it, is not an 
exposed card. 

72. If two or more cards be played at once 
by either of the declarer's adversaries, the 
declarer shall have the right to call any one of 
such cards to the current trick, and the other 
card or cards are exposed. 

73. If, without waiting for his partner to 
play, either of the declarer's adversaries play 
on the table the best card or lead one which 
is a winning card, as against the declarer 
and dummy, and continue (without waiting 
for his partner to play) to lead several such 
cards, the declarer may demand that the part- 
ner of the player in fault win, if he can, the 
first or any other of these tricks, and the other 
cards thus improperly played are exposed 
cards. 

74. If either or both of the declarer's 
adversaries throw his or their cards on the 



108 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



table face upward, such cards are exposed and 
are liable to be called ; but if either adver- 
sary retain his hand he cannot be forced to 
abandon it. Cards exposed by the declarer 
are not liable to be called. If the declarer 
say, "I have the rest," or any other words 
indicating that the remaining tricks or any 
number thereof are his, he may be required 
to place his cards face upward on the table. 
His adversaries are not liable to have any of 
their cards called should they thereupon 
expose them. 

75. If a player who has rendered him- 
self liable to have the highest or lowest of a 
suit called (Laws 82, 88 and 95) fail to play 
as directed, or if, when called on to lead one 
suit he lead another, having in his hand one 
or more cards of the suit demanded (Laws 
76 and 96), or if, called upon to win or lose a 
trick, fail to do so when he can (Laws 73, 82 
and 95), he is liable to the penalty for revoke, 
unless such play be corrected before the trick 
is turned and quitted. 



LAWS 01^ AUCTION. 



109 



Leads Out of Turn 

76. If either of the declarer's adversaries 
lead out of turn the declarer may either treat 
the card so led as an exposed card or may 
call a suit as soon as it is the turn of either 
adversary to lead. 

77. If the declarer lead out of turn, either 
from his own hand or from dummy, he incurs 
no penalty; but he may not rectify the error 
after the second hand has played. 

78. If any player lead out of turn and the 
other three follow, the trick is complete and 
the error cannot be rectified; but if only the 
second, or second and third play to the false 
lead, their cards may be taken back; there 
is no penalty against any except the original 
offender, who, if he be one of the declarer's 
adversaries, may be penalized as provided in 
Law 76. 

79. A player cannot be compelled to play 
a card which would oblige him to revoke. 

80. The call of an exposed card may be 
repeated until such card has been played. 



110 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



81. If a player called on to lead a suit have 
none of it, the penalty is paid. 

Cards Played in Error 

82. Should the fourth hand, not being 
dummy or declarer, play before the second, 
the latter may be called upon to play his 
highest or lowest card of the suit played, or to 
win or lose the trick. 

83. If any one, not being dummy, omit 
playing to a trick and such error be not cor- 
rected until he has played to the next, the 
adversaries or either of them may claim a 
new deal; should they decide that the deal is 
to stand, the surplus card at the end of the 
hand is considered to have been played to the 
imperfect trick, but does not constitute a 
revoke therein. 

84. If any one, except dummy, play two or 
more cards to the same trick and the mis- 
take be not corrected, he is answerable for 
any consequent revokes he may have made. If 
during the play the error be detected, the 



I,AWS OF AUCTION. 



Ill 



tricks may be counted face downward, to see 
if any contain more than four cards; should 
this be the case, the trick which contains a 
surplus card or cards may be examined and 
the card or cards restored to the original 
holder, who (not being dummy) shall be liable 
for any revoke he may meanwhile have made. 

The Revoke 

85. A revoke occurs when a player, other 
than dummy, holding one or more cards of the 
suit led, plays a card of a different suit. It 
becomes an established revoke if the trick in 
which it occurs be turned and quitted {i. e., 
the hand removed from the trick after it has 
been turned face downward on the table) ; 
or if either the revoking player or his part- 
ner, whether in turn or otherwise, lead or play 
to the following trick. 

86. The penalty for each established re- 
voke shall be : 

a — When the declarer revokes, his adver- 
saries add 150 points to their score in 
the honor column, in addition to any 



112 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



penalty which he may have incurred for 
not making good his declaration. 
b — If either of the adversaries revoke, the 
declarer may either add 150 points to his 
score in the honor column, or may take 
three tricks from his opponents and add 
them to his own. Such tricks may assist 
the declarer to make good his declara- 
tion, but shall not entitle him to score 
any bonus in the honor column, in the 
case of the declaration having been 
doubled or redoubled. 
c — When more than one revoke is made 
during the play of the hand the penalty 
for each revoke after the first, shall be 
100 points in the honor column. 
A revoking side cannot score, except for 
honors in trumps or chicane. 

87. A player may ask his partner if he 
have a card of the suit which he has re- 
nounced; should the question be asked before 
the trick is turned and quitted, subsequent 
turning and quitting does not establish a 



LAWS AUCTION. 



113 



revoke, and the error may be corrected unless 
the question be answered in the negative, or 
unless the revoking player or his partner have 
led or played to the following trick. 

88. If a player correct his mistake in time 
to save a revoke, any player or players who 
have followed him may withdraw their cards 
and substitute others, and the cards so with- 
drawn are not exposed. If the player in 
fault be one of the declarer's adversaries, the 
card played in error is exposed and the 
declarer may call it whenever he pleases ; or he 
may require the offender to play his highest 
or lowest card of the suit to the trick, but this 
penalty cannot be exacted from the declarer. 

89. At the end of a hand the claimants of 
a revoke may search all the tricks. If the 
cards have been mixed the claim may be 
urged and proved if possible; but no proof 
is necessary and the claim is established if, 
after it has been made, the accused player or 
his partner mix the cards before they have 
been sufficiently examined by the adversaries. 



114 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



90. A revoke must be claimed before the 
cards have been cut for the following deal. 

91. Should both sides revoke, the only 
score permitted shall be for honors in trumps 
or chicane. If one side revoke more than 
once, the penalty of 100 points for each extra 
revoke shall then be scored by the other side. 

General Rules 

92. There must not be any consultation 
between partners as to the enforcement of 
penalties. If they do so consult, the penalty 
is paid. 

93. Once a trick is complete, turned and 
quitted, it must not be looked at (except under 
Law 84) until the end of the hand. 

94. Any player during the play of a trick 
or after the four cards are played, and before 
they are touched for the purpose of gathering 
them together, may demand that the cards be 
placed before their respective players. 

95. If either of the declarer's adversaries, 
prior to his partner playing, call attention to 
the trick, either by saying it is his, or without 



LAWS OF^ AUCTION. 



115 



being requested so to do, by naming his card 
or drawing it toward him, the declarer may 
require such partner to play his highest or 
lowest card of the suit led, or to win or lose 
the trick. 

96. Either of the declarer's adversaries 
may call his partner's attention to the fact 
that he is about to play or lead out of turn, 
but if, during the play of a hand, he make 
any unauthorized reference to any incident of 
the play, or of any bid previously made, the 
declarer may call a suit from the adversary 
whose turn it is next to lead. 

97. In all cases where a penalty has been 
incurred the offender is bound to give reason- 
able time for the decision of his adversaries; 
but if a wrong penalty be demanded none can 
be enforced. 

98. Where the declarer or his partner has 
incurred a penalty, one of his adversaries may 
say, ''Partner, will you exact the penalty or 
shall I?'' but whether this is said or not, if 
either adversary name the penalty his decision 
is final. 



116 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



New Cards 

99. Unless a pack be imperfect, no player 
shall have the right to call for one new pack. 
If fresh cards be demanded, two packs must 
be furnished. If they be produced during a 
rubber, the adversaries shall have the choice 
of the new cards. If it be the beginning of 
a new rubber, the dealer, whether he or one 
of his adversaries be the party calling for the 
new cards, shall have the choice. New cards 
must be called for before the pack be cut for 
a new deal. 

100. A card or cards torn or marked must 
be replaced by agreement or new cards fur- 
nished. 

Bystanders 

101. While a bystander, by agreement 
among the players, may decide any question, 
he must on no account say anything unless 
appealed to; and if he make any remark which 
calls attention to an oversight affecting the 
score, or to the exaction of a penalty, he is 



I.AWS OF AUCTION. 



117 



liable to be called upon by the players to pay 
the stakes (not extras) lost. 

KTIQUETTE OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

In Bridge slight intimations convey much 
information. A code is compiled for the pur- 
pose of succinctly stating laws and for fixing 
penalties for an offence. To offend against a 
rule of etiquette is far more serious than to 
offend against a law ; for, while in the latter 
case the offender is subject to the prescribed 
penalties, in the former his adversaries have 
no redress. 

1. Declarations should be made in a simple 
manner, thus : "One Heart,'' ''One No Trump," 
or ''I pass," or "I double," and must be made 
orally, and not by gesture. 

2. Aside from his legitimate declaration, a 
player should not give any indication by word 
or gesture as to the nature of his hand, or as 
to his pleasure or displeasure at a play, a bid 
or a double. 

3. If a player demand that the cards be 
placed, he should do so for his own informa- 



118 



STREET ON AUCTION. 



tion and not to call his partner's attention to 
any card or play. 

4. No player, other than the declarer, 
should lead until the preceding trick is turned 
and quitted; nor, after having led a winning 
card, should he draw another from his hand 
before his partner has played to the current 
trick. 

5. A player should not play a card with 
such emphasis as to draw attention to it. Nor 
should he detach one card from his hand and 
subsequently play another. 

6. A player should not purposely incur a 
penalty because he is willing to pay it, nor 
should he make a second revoke to conceal 
a first. 

7. Players should avoid discussion and 
refrain from talking during the play, as it 
may be annoying to players at the table or to 
those at other tables in the room. 

8. The dummy should not leave his seat 
for the purpose of watching his partner's play, 
neither should he call attention to the score 



I.x\WS 01^ AUCTION. 



119 



nor to any card or cards that he or the other 
players hold, nor to any bid previously made. 

9. If the declarer say ''I have the rest," or 
any words indicating the remaining tricks are 
his, and one or both of the other players 
should expose his or their cards, or request 
the declarer to play out the hand, he should 
not allow any information so obtained to 
influence his play nor take any finesse not 
announced by him at the time of making such 
claim, unless it had been previously proven to 
be a winner. 

10. If a player concede in error one or 
more tricks, the concession should stand. 

11. A player having been cut out of one 
table should not seek admission into another 
unless willing to cut for the privilege of entry. 

12. No player shall look at any of his cards 
until the deal is completed. 



4 



I 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Dedication 3 

Preface 5 

Chapter I. — The Scheme of Auction 7 

Chapter II.— The Initial Bid 12 

Chapter III.— The Dealer's Make— No-Trump . . . 22 

Four Aces 23 

Three Aces 23 

Two Aces 23 

One Ace 24 

No Aces 26 

Examples of Sound No-Trump Makes 26 

Examples of Unsound No-Trump Makes . . 28 
Chapter IV. — The Dealer's Make — Hearts or 

Diamonds 31 

Examples of Sound Red Makes 33 

Examples of Unsound Red Makes 34 

Chapter V.— The Dealer's Make— Clubs 35 

Examples of Sound Club Bids 37 

Examples of Unsound Club Bids 38 

Chapter VI.— The Dealer's Make— Spades 38 

Examples of One Spade Bids 40 

Example of Sound Two Bids 40 

Examples of Unsound Spade Bids 41 

C hapter VII.— Makes to the Score 42 

Chapter VIII.— The Second Bidder , 43 



Chapter IX. -The Third Bidder 47 

Chapter X. — Increasing Partner's Bid 55 

Chapter XI.— The Fourth Bidder 62 

Chapter XII. — Continuing Your Own Suit 65 

Chapter XIII.— Doubling 75 

Chapter XIV.— The Opening Lead 79 

1 . Against a No-Trump Declaration 79 

2. Against a Declared Trump. 81 

Chapter XV.— Discard 82 

Chapter XVI-— Don't 84 

Index to Whist Club Laws 88 

Laws of Auction „ 89 



JAN 3 1912 



